New Southampton striker Shane Long surprised by transfer

Shane Long's £12.5m move from Hull City to Southampton came "out of the blue" for the Republic of Ireland striker.

The 27-year-old signed a four-year deal with Saints yesterday to become new manager Ronald Koeman's most expensive signing since taking the reins at St Mary's.

"This came out of the blue for me," Long is quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "But once I'd come and had a look at the training facilities and met the manager, it seemed like the right decision.

"It was a hard decision for me to make, but when you come down to Southampton you see how big a club it is and how well set up it is.

"You look at how well they did last season and they are developing a new squad for this year to try and achieve those accomplishments again, and hopefully I can be a big part of that."

Long will have the chance to make his first Southampton appearance this Sunday when his new team visit Liverpool.